Work - Volume 50, issue 4

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Impact Factor 2019: 1.009

WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation is an interdisciplinary, international journal which publishes high quality peer-reviewed manuscripts covering the entire scope of the occupation of work. The journal's subtitle has been deliberately laid out: The first goal is the prevention of illness, injury, and disability. When this goal is not achievable, the attention focuses on assessment to design client-centered intervention, rehabilitation, treatment, or controls that use scientific evidence to support best practice.
WORK occasionally publishes thematic issues, but in general, issues cover a wide range of topics such as ergonomic considerations with children, youth and students, the challenges facing an aging workforce, workplace violence, injury management, performing artists, ergonomic product evaluations, and the awareness of the political, cultural, and environmental determinants of health related to work.

Dr. Karen Jacobs, the founding editor, and her editorial board especially encourage the publication of research studies, clinical practice, case study reports, as well as personal narratives and critical reflections of lived work experiences (autoethnographic/autobiographic scholarship),
Sounding Board commentaries and
Speaking of Research articles which provide the foundation for better understanding research to facilitate knowledge dissemination.
Narrative Reflections on Occupational Transitions, a new column, is for persons who have successfully transitioned into, between, or out of occupations to tell their stories in a narrative form. With an internationally renowned editorial board,
WORK maintains high standards in the evaluation and publication of manuscripts. All manuscripts are reviewed expeditiously and published in a timely manner.
WORK prides itself on being an author-friendly journal.

WORK celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2015.

*WORK is affiliated with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT)**WORK is endorsed by the International Ergonomics Association (IEA)**WORK gives out the yearly Cheryl Bennett Best Paper Award*

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Considering the current experience of Persons with Disabilities (PWD) seeking to join the labor market as well as improve their quality of life, full accessibility is an important tool to enable their integration into society. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to identify ergonomics and accessibility issues faced by wheelchair users and persons with mobility alterations when using public transport, from a user perspective. METHODS: This was an observational,…descriptive study, with a quantitative approach to data analysis and discussion. The study sample comprised 30 wheelchair-bound public transport users, and was drawn from the membership of LEME – Associação dos Lesados Medulares de Novo Hamburgo (Novo Hamburgo Spinal Injury Victims' Association). Data were collected by means of an open-ended interview, which guided questionnaire development, and direct field observations conducted during bus rides. RESULTS: Results indicate that the primary issues are the quality of services offered, particularly the schedule and number of accessible vehicles, and the lack of trained employees to aid wheelchair users. CONCLUSIONS: The paper also identifies issues related to accessibility and safety, both when accessing vehicles and during transportation.
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Abstract: BACKGROUND: The Quota Law in Brazil determines that the organizations with over 100 workers must hire people with disabilities. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this investigation was to verify the willingness of future professionals to work with people with disabilities. PARTICIPANTS: A survey was conducted with 341 Brazilian university students. METHODS: The following factors were taken into account: the Quota Law favorability (attitude); the conceptions about disability (beliefs); the evaluation of consequences (positive or negative) which the…individual attributes to the fact of working with people with disabilities; and the perception of the level of difficulty to insert these people (beliefs about control). RESULTS: Three patterns of willingness have been identified: willingness guided by the focus on the disability; willingness guided by the instrumental focus; and willingness guided towards accessibility. It has also been verified that these forms of willingness were associated to the perception of difficulties in inserting people with disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: These results empirically reinforce the fact that part of the difficulties in inserting people with disabilities is found in the social environment and conditions, suggesting that these aspects need to be taken into account in the studies on attitudes towards people with disabilities.
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Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze the managers' conceptions involved in the process of labor inclusion in 18 supermarkets with 5,000 employees, 300 of whom with disabilities. METHODS: A group of 90 managers working with people with disability completed a Conceptions of Disability Inventory (CDI) about their conceptions of people with disabilities. Their responses were categorized as follows: a) disability as a spiritual manifestation; b) disability as a deviation from normality; c) disability based…on assumptions of inclusion; d) disability assessed from performance criteria; e) disability assessed from the connection established with the work organization; f) disability conceived by contracting benefits, and g) disability based on the perception of the need for training. RESULTS: Based on the outcomes of the Pearson Correlation Matrix, significant linear correlations were found in seven managers' conceptions of disability. The results also indicate that the managers' conceptions contributed to differentiated inclusionist actions based on their perceptions related to people with disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: This study data contributes to identifying the best practices in labor inclusion. The outcomes of the present study could lead to development of a public policy aimed towards humanizing job alternatives for people with disability.
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Abstract: BACKGROUND: Successful cases of professional reintegration were achieved when adequate conditions were created for the adaptation of the worker with disability to the working environment and to the professional activity, allowing them to carry out all their functions without any restriction. In this sense, this paper presents a methodology for professional integration of people with disability in service companies and industry. It has as results a matrix of analysis of a set of observables for the…reintegration of people with disability into the labour market, as well as an auxiliary tool for those who work in recruitment of personnel. OBJECTIVE: The main objective was to develop a tool (i.e., a software) based on the crossing of data obtained from the analysis of the individual capacities and the requirements of the job to optimise the relationship between worker and the workplace. There was also considered a series of strategies which can be adopted by the individuals and the possible adaptations in the workplace, as a way to reduce the handicap in the accomplishment of different activities. METHODS: The methodology for the development of this study is divided in two phases: Phase I, destined to the assessment criteria and classification of the indispensable functional characteristics of the individuals; Phase II, related to the assessment criteria of the jobs and the functions that have to be performed. RESULTS: As a result it was developed an evaluation tool to match the individuals' capabilities and the job requirements. A software was created to support the evaluation and to help professionals during the assessment. CONCLUSIONS: This methodology together with the support tool demonstrated to be a quite inclusive tool, as it considers, as a matter of priority, the capacities of the individuals and the real necessities of the workplaces.
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Abstract: BACKGROUND: Despite the attempts to include people with disabilities at work, the number of such people seeking employment and of those receiving job opportunities remains low. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the construction jobs of bricklayer, carpenter, steel fixer, painter, laborer 1, laborer 2 and foreman on the construction site of a water supply network so as to determine the profile of workers with disabilities who could perform these jobs and what adaptations…are needed. METHODS: The methods used were: direct observation of the activities and the environment, interviews with staff on the site, and a video and photographic record of the tasks, while the software ErgoDis/IBV was used to analyze the jobs. RESULTS: it was found that workers with hearing impairments could perform the activities without any adaptations to the job, while for individuals whose leg or foot had been amputated, some adjustments would be needed. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, by the knowledge of the task, the physical, intellectual and organizational demands of jobs and knowing the functional capabilities of workers with disabilities, reasonable adaptation to work environments can be carried out adequately. To achieve this goal, it is important that this be done through an integration of a multidisciplinary team, which involves the areas of occupational safety and ergonomics.
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Abstract: BACKGROUND: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was approved by the World Health Assembly in 2001. Ten years later, strong arguments have arisen regarding the added value of ICF to the policies on employment and the outcomes at the workplace. As a conceptual framework, ICF has universality because of its inclusive and comprehensive view of human functioning. At a practical level ICF can be used to quantify the impact of impairment on an individual's ability…to act in his/her environment and to assess interventions to minimize the impact of disability and maximize functioning. OBJECTIVE: To explore key indicators of social participation (life habits) of persons with disabilities, particularly related to work, among environmental and personal factors. METHODOLOGY/PARTICIPANTS: Data were collected by self-administered questionnaires from a convenience sample of 149 working-age persons with disabilities. RESULTS: Social participation is a construct composed by multiple components and employment domain is the strongest indicator of participation. Correlations between social participation and personal factors, such as self-efficacy and attitudes towards disability were moderate. Those who are employed scored higher quality of life in terms of satisfaction with life, more positive attitudes toward disabilities and higher self-efficacy than the ones who are retired or unemployed. Persons using adapted wheelchair and those who were involved in wheelchair selection scored higher in social participation in general, performance at work, and quality of life. Age and disability duration were not associated with participants' employment status. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that rehabilitation and vocational agents, like physiotherapists and other professionals, should have knowledge and understanding of the multiple factors that influence persons with disabilities' participation at work. Programs should provide appropriate wheelchairs, skills training, empowerment and problem-solving strategies in labour activities and occupational environment to promote employment of working-age persons with disabilities.
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Abstract: BACKGROUND: The phenomenon of aging is increasing worldwide. Various problems accompany it since aging makes the elderly undergo a decline in their natural functions. As such, senility can present itself as a barrier for everyday activities. OBJECTIVE: This article presents a research that deals with the study of collective residences for the elderly. It seeks to identify configurations of these homes by seeking shortcomings and/or successful solutions. METHODS: The Ergonomic Methodology for the Built Environment was…applied. The method of the approach is qualitative and consists of multi-case study. RESULTS: Through the methodological approach, conflicts in the environment created by missing or inadequate elements were identified. Also, the opinions and suggestions from the elderly were analyzed, which shows their perception of the environment in use. CONCLUSIONS: The situations detected in this study indicate the occurrence of problems, exacerbated by the multiple deficiencies found in the user population of the environments analyzed. Thus it highlights the importance of there being future studies that are better targeted on designing environments for the elderly.
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